No One Else (Sequel to Only You)

Status Based Prejudice

Hermione exchanged one last look to Harry, as if it would be her last. She wanted to see his face, his real face, and his big green eyes.

     "If she dies under questioning, I'll feed her to our other prisoners perhaps. How does that sound, blood traitor? Pieces of your filthy friend for supper?"

Ron had no time to say anything else because Draco and Narcissa grabbed them, and they were gone. That was it. That was her last time seeing her best friends.

Bellatrix grabbed a fistful of Hermione's brown locks and yanked it towards her. She pulled out a small, dainty, sharp blade and slices her ropes off of her neck. She could breathe, but she had never felt more suffocated in her life. Hermione was forced into her knees by her tormentor, and remained silent for the agony to come.

Bellatrix tilted up Hermione's chin and her face was inches away.

"Pretty on the outside," Bellatrix breathed. "Putrid on the inside. Would hate to see such a pretty girl like you have to suffer such a fate, that could easily be avoided."

Bellatrix circled Hermione as she trembled.

"I love you, Harry." Hermione whispered so softly, she could barely hear herself.

"Now!" Bellatrix barked. "I have a few simple questions I have to ask you, Miss Mudblood. If you answer them, you will be out of here in no time. If you refuse to oblige, let's just say you will be familiar with the sound of your screams. Where shall we begin, ah. That sword, that bloody snatcher had. It wasn't his. No, no no. That sword was mine. How did you and your friends get it?"

Hermione's lip quivered and she looked down at her thumbs, playing with them.

Bellatrix let out a cold laugh. "Silence. Not smart of you, rotten one." And without a second to lose, Hermione was screaming as Bellatrix's knife whizzed past her cheek and cut a deep gash just below her eye lid. Her face felt as if it was on fire.

She leaned in close to Hermione. She whimpered as her breath filled her nose.

"I'm going to ask you again! What were you and your friends doing in my vault at Gringotts! What else did you take? Answer me! Crucio!"

And just like that, Hermione fell backwards, flat on her back, and was writhing under the pain Bellatrix was inflicting upon her. Hermione screamed louder than she had ever screamed in her entire lifetime. The misery was so intense, so ruthless, that Bellatrix had Hermione begging her to lift it, but the pain only worsened by the second. Hermione twitched and turned under the torturous spell, but Bellatrix only laughed and repeated the questions louder.

"Please! Please stop! Stop!" Hermione shouted, and the curse was lifted. Hermione wiped beads of sweat off of her forehead and moaned as the aches of the Cruciatus Curse remained all around her body. She clutched her stomach as Bellatrix towered over her.

"I told you, stupid girl. You have two choices! Tell me the truth, or suffer the most painful death one can seek!"

Hermione's throat burned with tears. Her stomach churned. "We found it..." She whimpered softly. Her voice was gone.

Bellatrix broke out into a fit of laughter. Hermione's eyebrows furrowed as she doubled over in laughs, clutching her stomach for support.

"You found it?" Bellatrix breathed. "Just laying out in the blue? Oh look at this, a sword! Maybe we can just take it, and run away with it, no harm done! Is that what you thought!"

Hermione frantically shook her head as she sobbed, and Bellatrix's knife was raised high in the air once again.

"Please don't," Hermione sighed, unable to take anymore pain.